I’ve been using TR for about a year and a half, primarily doing self guided training (largely a polarized approach), with a few TR structured plans sprinkled in.
I’m looking at starting a 12 week structured program in a couple weeks. 4-5 days a week, 2 days/week intensity, around 7-9 hrs/wk. I’m planning to do one of the standard FTP increasing plans as the ‘predicted’ FTP numbers hitting the plan look pretty appealing (you’ve suckered me back this far, TR!)
I recently moved from Texas to Washington and my outdoor rides have changed a lot. In Texas, I would target 1-2, 4-5 hr outdoor rides per month, where it was super flat and easy to stay in Z2 for the duration. I did this during my biggest building block early last year, and it went great.
Since moving to Washington, my outdoor rides have changed significantly. See snip/example below. Basically the entire ride seems to be up or downhill. The rides are either MTB or gravel. On many of the long 15-20 minute uphills, I’m sitting at 85%+ FTP, and then coasting downhill at 30 mph, too fast to do much pedaling to stay in Z2. On the MTB, this is magnified significantly more.
I have 3 races on the calendar this year I’m training for - two gravel races at around 90 miles w/ 8k-9k ft elevation gain, and a 100 mile MTB race in Bend, OR.
Finally living someone where with fantastic outdoor gravel/MTB riding, I’m going to consider my weekend rides non-negotiable. I spent 90% of my time on the bike on the trainer, but I’m finally to a point that part of my enjoyment beyond the workout can ACTUALLY be loving the nature and scenery.
What’s more challenging, is they’re entirely dictated by weather this time of year. I can’t see getting more than 2 in per month, but have no idea which weekends it will be (again, weather). Riding them any differently than I do now is pretty much out of the question as well. My cadence is already low going up the hills and have enough invested in my bikes right now I’m not interested in changing my 40:46 gear ratio on my gravel bike to a 10-52. Maybe eventually.
How should I work these outdoor rides into my plan? I’ve been struggling with recovery a bit later this year as my volume has dropped, but hopefully it’ll pick back up soon. I’ll pretty much always take a rest day after my outdoor rides. I’m not sure if I should drop an intensity day in these weeks, or possibly make sure those weeks only have 4 ride days vs 5 so I can get a bit more recovery? Open to suggestions outside of not doing the rides or changing how I do them lol.
